The present invention relates to a utility or commercial vehicle having a plurality of electric devices which are controlled by at least one electronic control device, such as electric steering devices, electronic engine controller, and electric brake devices.
Contemporary commercial vehicles contain multiple electric or electronic systems such as, for example, an electric brake system, an electric steering system, an electric engine controller, an electric pneumatic suspension, an electric damping system, an electric air conditioning system, etc., which are each controlled by an electronic control device. As a result, there are a relatively high number of control devices available in the vehicle. At the same time, these individual systems are becoming increasingly intelligent and require ever greater amounts of data from other systems contained in the utility vehicle, which gives rise to a networked structure. For example, the functions of the traction control system (TCS) and of the electronic stability program (ESP) can each access at least the brake controller and engine controller.
Some of these systems are safety-critical (for example brakes, steering system) which places increased demands on the corresponding control devices, for example in the form of fail-safe behavior, fail silent behavior or in the form of redundancies. For example, EP 1 032 518 B1 describes redundant control devices and a redundant data bus of an electronic or vehicle brake system for increasing the functional reliability. If such redundancies are necessary for safety reasons, a control device is usually provided in the cabin, and one on the frame of the utility vehicle. Likewise, additional electronic assemblies such as actuators or sensors are arranged spatially separated from one another on the utility vehicle, for example, so that data which is input via an input unit arranged in the cabin is conducted to control devices arranged on the frame. However, the increasing number of electric and electronic assemblies in utility vehicles leads to large costs of cabling and a large number of plug connections, which increases susceptibility to faults.
The embodiments of the present invention describe a utility vehicle having a plurality of electric devices which are controlled via at least one electronic control device, in such a way that the devices have a higher level of functional reliability.
The vehicle according to the invention includes a pedal unit which is normally present in utility vehicles, and which is combined with at least one of the control devices of the electric devices to form one assembly or one module. This arrangement shortens the line lengths between the pedals which are fitted with sensors and the associated control devices, for example between a potentiometer used as a distance sensor for the travel of the accelerator pedal, or a steering angle sensor which is arranged on the steering column near to the pedal, and the respective signal input of the control device. The assembly according to embodiments of the invention includes control devices and a pedal unit, and can be used as a junction point for the cabling between the cabin, which can generally be pivoted, and the frame. This is beneficial since the actuators and sensors are mostly arranged on the frame and the operator control elements, display devices and input devices are usually arranged in the cabin. Furthermore, the assembly can be prefabricated, which reduces fabrication costs.
The devices can be combined according to embodiments of the invention by utilizing a spatially close arrangement of the pedal unit and the control device or devices to form one physical unit. This can be done, for example, by attaching a pedal carrier and a housing of the control device or devices using flanges, inserting the control device or devices into a flange within the pedal carrier with the detachable locked connection, and by integrating elements of the pedal unit and the control device or devices in a single housing. Alternatively, the combination may be accomplished by integrating elements of the pedal unit and the control device or devices in a single housing and attaching or supporting the remaining components of the pedal unit on the common housing.
The assembly having at least one control device and the pedal unit preferably include at least one first plug connector strip for receiving cables from sensors, actuators or input devices and display devices in the cabin, and at least one second plug connector strip for receiving cables from sensors and/or actuators in the region of the frame. Since the at least one electronic control device is then itself arranged at the interface with the cabin, all the lines coming both from the cabin and from outside the cabin can then be connected directly to the at least one control device without, as in the prior art, being firstly routed via the plug connection at the junction point with the cabin. This considerably reduces the risk of faults from disrupted plug connections.
According to embodiments of the invention, it is unnecessary to place at least one control device in the cabin and at least one additional control device, connected thereto in a data-transmitting fashion, outside the cabin, in order to make direct contact with the actuators and sensors which are respectively located there.
The at least one control device can furthermore serve as a connecting point or gateway for pure cabin data buses and for data buses for other parts of the vehicle. In this situation, as well, the additional plug connections at the junction point with the cabin are eliminated.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.